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Chapter Text

Nova Bright should’ve known that going out for drinks with her best friend and roommate, Addison Wells, was going to result in her being ditched. Addison always has good intentions, and immediately agreed to go out with her when she suggested it after a long day of lectures at Mountain College. Unfortunately, she is easily distracted by her boyfriend. Zed, star athlete on the Mountain College football team, made a surprise appearance and swept the cheerleader away to make out in a dark corner after twenty-five minutes, leaving her alone with a basket of chips and guac and a strawberry margarita.

The blonde sighs and glances around the bar. It’s busy for a Thursday night. She recognizes a few faces from campus, but no one by name. Going out during the week is something she doesn’t frequently do, but with midterms approaching and no desire to cook, she jumped at the chance to hang out with her best friend and blow off some steam. Now, she’s sitting on a barstool alone. She isn’t mad at Addison. She is busy with her classes, cheer, and football games, and time with her football star boyfriend is precious. One day, she wants a relationship like theirs, but not right now.

A messy situationship, if it could even be called that, last year made her swear off dating for a while. A frat guy she met sophomore year put on a really great performance of wanting to get to know her, but when she refused to sleep with him, he blew up and called her some awful things she’d rather forget. The majority of fraternity brothers at Mountain College are a bunch of dicks who coast by in classes and party most of the week. She prefers to spend her time at the library, at club meetings, and cheering on Zed and Addy at football games, only dropping by the occasional party.

“Nova!” A voice calls out from the other end of the bar, and Nova grimaces.

Raymond Lerner, known by everyone as Ray, is here at the same time as her. She had the unfortunate privilege of growing up with him down the street. She thought he was a bully and a snob, but their fathers worked together, so she had to tolerate his presence for most of her life. She wasn’t thrilled to hear they’d be attending the same college, but their social lives rarely overlapped. Ray adjusted to college life quickly, pledging to a fraternity and joining the party scene. She got involved in other activities.

She turns slightly in her chair and plasters a small, fake smile on her face. “Hi, Ray.” Inside, she’s flipping him off. The curly brunette slides up beside her and slams his Coors down on the bartop. “Funny seeing you here, Bright. I saw Addison and Zed leave, and you look lonely, so let me buy you a drink.” The way he says it makes her skin crawl. His pupils are dilated, and his breath reeks of alcohol. Surprise, surprise. He’s drunk.

“Thank you,” she says firmly. “But I have a drink, and I’m not interested.” She turns her seat away from him and takes a sip of her margarita.

Undeterred, Ray steps closer, nearly invading her personal space. “Oh, c’mon! Nova, we’ve known each other for years. Let’s just hang, have a few drinks, no strings attached.” He waves down the bartender. “Hey man! Get me another one of these! And something for the babe next to me,” he demands.

Nova wants to throw up. Sober Ray is annoying and a massive prick. Drunk Ray is a disgusting pig, viewing women as objects for sex. She knows that’s what he’s looking for. Unfortunately, with Addy gone and Zed unavailable to step in like he has done for unwanted advances from other guys in the past, escaping will be much more difficult without making a scene. She glances at the door, silently pleading for her friend to walk back in and save her. Instead, three people- two guys and a girl- enter, all dressed in dark clothes. The girl and the dark skinned guy are talking animatedly while the taller guy follows after them. His eyes catch hers for a second before getting lost in the crowd.

Steeling herself, she sighs and twists back to face her annoyance. “What if I had a boyfriend? Would you leave me alone?” The lie slips off her tongue way too easily, but she’s never shared anything valuable about her personal life with Ray for him to know the difference. If given the choice, she never would have interacted with him at all growing up. She takes a long sip of her margarita, downing the liquid courage.

Ray slams his drink down again with loud laughter, and Coors Light spills on the bartop. A few other bargoers look in his direction, unamused by the scene he’s trying to make, but do nothing to stop him otherwise.

“Thanks, guys. Love the help,” she mutters sarcastically. She glances at her phone, hoping to get something, anything, from Addy, indicating that she’s coming back with Zed any second.

“You? A boyfriend? That’s hilarious. You’ve never dated anyone, Nova. No one’s ever looked at you because they knew I had my eye on you.” He’s crowding her personal space now, and she tries to sit further back on the chair to create some distance, but it’s useless. “Let’s get out of here. I know you’re playing hard to get, and it’s doing things to me.” His eyes darken with lust.

“What part of-” Nova starts to speak, fury growing inside her, but she’s cut off by a warm hand on her left shoulder. Someone steps up from behind and angles themself between her and Ray, pushing him back a few steps.

“Whoa, man! Back up.” She looks up and gasps. It’s the guy who walked in moments ago. Standing right here, saving her.

“Who the fuck are you?” Ray looks angry at being interrupted, and he bumps into the person standing behind him.

The man standing between her and the drunk frat boy is tall and clearly works out. He stands confidently and with an air of authority that demands attention. “I’m her boyfriend, Victor,” he says, clenching his jaw. “Who are you, and why are you standing so close?”

Stunned, the drunk guy trips over his words, and it comes out like gibberish.

Her hero, Victor, turns slightly to meet her wide eyes. His brown eyes ask, Are you okay?

She nods slightly. Waving him closer, she leans forward so he can hear her over the noise at the bar. “Nova,” she says quietly. “My name is Nova.”

The man squeezes her shoulder again before letting go and moving his hand to rest on her back. “Follow my lead. I’ll get you out of here,” he whispers.

Something about his presence makes her feel safe. Maybe it’s the eye contact. Maybe it's the careful way he approached her. Maybe it’s the size of his arms and the tattoo sleeve or the protective stance he’s taken or his hair, a dark brown with streaks of red throughout.

Ray has recovered enough to straighten himself and approaches the pair, his chest puffed up to appear tougher than he actually is. “If you’re her boyfriend, why have I never seen you before? I’ve known Nova for most of my life, and I’ve never heard of you. I think I can get close to her if I want.”

Nova has to bite her tongue to keep from throwing a punch. He’s always been like this, acting like he’s entitled to anything he wants. He is a walking sexual harassment case waiting to happen.

Victor shakes his head and leans down to whisper in her ear, “Breathe.” And she does. She turns in the seat to carefully lean against him, her hand finding his clenched fist and uncurling the fingers so they lace with hers. It’s her way of trying to sell the story of them as a couple, and she feels the tension in his body relax ever so slightly with the contact.

The drunk guy crosses his arms over his chest. “It’s pretty convenient that this guy comes up to us seconds after you claim to have a boyfriend. Prove it. Prove it that you’re dating and he’s not some random guy.” He rests his arm against the bartop and takes a long drink of his beer, watching them suspiciously.

“Dude, go home. You’re drunk. Nova doesn’t have to prove shit to you.”

When he walked into the college bar with Vera and Vargas a minute ago, his attention immediately landed on this young woman, Nova, whose facial expression screamed fear and discomfort toward the guy standing in her personal space. Something about her pleading eyes, glancing at the door, told him she was looking for an escape. He told his friends he’d get the first round of drinks and pushed his way through the crowd to find her. When he reached the front of the bar, the guy was making unwanted advances, and no one was doing a thing to help. He has opinions about the people who attend Mountain College, and this doesn’t change his opinions in any way.

Turning towards the blonde who is now gripping his hand, he helps her stand and goes to grab her drink. “My friends are this way,” he whispers in her ear, wanting to steer her towards the table in the back where Vera and Vargas are waiting, when a pair of soft lips suddenly press against his. The hand reaching for the margarita glass automatically lands on the small of her back, pulling her towards him. He’s trying to be respectful, but this beautiful stranger has his mind short-circuiting with the way her fingernails lightly scratch against his scalp.

After a few seconds, Nova pulls away and her blue eyes flutter open. “Thank you,” she breathes. She drops her heels to the ground and turns toward the frat boy, whose mouth is gaping like a fish at the scene before him. “When a girl says to leave her alone, that means back off, you dumbass.” She squeezes Victor’s hand and tugs him away from her seat. “Let me pay my tab, and let’s get out of here.”

He follows her lead and waves down the bartender, positioning himself between her and Ray again. He slides his wallet from his pocket and hands over his card before she can open her wallet. When she sees him pay and opens her mouth to argue, he cuts her off with a patient kiss to the side of her head. “If we want to sell this to that fucker, I can’t let my girlfriend pay for her own drinks,” he mumbles.

The explanation makes perfect sense, and even though she only had one drink, she isn’t sober enough to have thought of it herself. All she can do is nod, grateful, and lean her head against his shoulder. He adjusts slightly and lays his arm over her shoulders, and she slips an arm around his waist while they wait for the bartender to return with his credit card.

A few minutes later, they step out of the bar into the brisk October air, continuing their performance for the other Mountain College students who witnessed Ray’s unwanted advances, her refusal, and Victor’s intervention. They walk a block away from the bar before stopping at a corner.

Victor takes her arms in his hands and looks her up and down. “Are you okay? Who was that dick?” He asks.

Nova glances at the callused hands gripping her upper arm, her breath catching at the gentle strength he is holding her. Her eyes travel up the tattooed arm sleeve and meet his concerned expression. “Oh my God, am I okay?!” She puts a hand over her heart and feels it ramming against her chest. Her anxiety is spiking, and the alcohol in her bloodstream isn’t helping the situation. “Wh-?”

Without thinking, the man in front of her pulls her to his chest. His arms tighten around her while one hand gently guides her head to rest above his heart. “Take a breath, Nova. Nice and easy. Inhale and hold. Exhale and hold.”

He coaches through the breathing exercise, his voice gentle but his hold firm. She cannot believe she just had an anxiety attack and was comforted by a total stranger whom she kissed about 10 minutes ago. Turning her face against his chest, she takes one final exhale before whispering, “Thank you.”

He must’ve heard her because his hand moves from the back of her head down her back and squeezes her waist. “You’re welcome, Nova.” He waits a few seconds before speaking again. “Can I ask who that guy was?”

Nova sighs and winds her arms around his torso. Her head turns so she’s looking out at the lit sidewalk of downtown Seabrook. “That dick is someone I had the unfortunate privilege of growing up down the street from. Ray Lerner. He’s always been like that, but he’s never tried to sleep with me before. If my friend hadn’t run into her boyfriend and left, I’m sure he never would’ve tried that shit.” She pauses, then adds in a soft voice, “Thank you for stepping in. I hope it was okay that I kissed you. I just felt it in my gut that I could trust you. That you would get me out.” The admission is disarming, yet comforting for both.

“You’re welcome, Nova.” Victor tips his head down so his nose brushes her hairline. They stay like that, standing in each other’s arms as the busy streets of downtown Seabrook pass them by for several minutes. It’s only when a crisp September night breeze brushes by that she shivers. He shrugs his jacket off and drapes it over her shoulders. “Can I drive you home? Or is someone coming to get you?” Considering the panic attack she nearly had a few minutes ago, he doesn’t want to leave her alone, especially at night.

Nova’s lips lift at the sweet gesture and pulls the leather jacket a little tighter around herself to block out the chill. “My friend Addison and I walked over from campus,” she answers. “But she’s long gone because her boyfriend showed up and they disappeared. I was just going to walk back to my apartment.”

“No, you’re not,” he says. “It’s chilly, and I’m not letting you walk alone. Let me drive you back. My car is just down the street.” He pauses, then adds, “I can’t let my girlfriend walk alone at night.” He winks and slides his key from his pocket. He waves them at her and tilts his head down the street.

A loud laugh escapes Nova’s lips, and her head falls back, blonde hair hanging over her shoulders. “Well, I guess I have to let my boyfriend drive me home.” Her voice is teasing, and her eyes sparkle under the streetlights.

Victor offers her the crook of his arm, which she takes with a giggle, and leads her to his black BMW M4, parked another block away. He opens the passenger door and helps her in, earning a look of approval and a “what a gentleman” from under her breath.

She settles comfortably in the black leather seats as he shuts the door behind her and circles around the front of the vehicle. He slides his phone out of his pocket and starts the car with a light tap of the gas and a push of the start button. The dashboard screen and his phone both light up with different messages.

“Hold on,” he mutters while unlocking his phone. Three texts from Vargas appear before him.

U get lost

YO where did you go??

Bro did you leave? Vera’s flipping out

He quickly types out a reply:

I’m driving a friend home who needed help. Venmo request me the money you guys need for an Uber when you’re done. Sorry for dipping

“Alright, Nova. Where am I taking you?” He looks over at the beautiful blonde sitting beside him, his leather jacket now lying on her lap.

She rattles off her address, and he punches it into the car’s GPS that connects to his phone. They pull away from the curb, and the engine hums quietly throughout the cabin before she asks if he is a dog or a cat person.

The drive to Nova’s apartment is over far too quickly. He could've driven them around in circles for hours just to keep the conversation going. Talking with her is so easy, so comfortable. It feels like he’s known her for years. When he parks in front of her building, she doesn’t immediately get out. She unbuckles her seatbelt and turns to face him, continuing their conversation for several minutes longer.

When they both fall quiet, Nova slips her phone out of her bag and hands it to him. “Put your number in,” she says with a teasing wink. He looks at her, brow raised, before he passes his phone to her so she can put her phone number in. They exchange phones and take a breath, feeling the air charged with tension. She reaches for the door but pauses. A soft smile graces her lips, and Victor wonders if she’s going to kiss him again. He wouldn’t mind kissing her.

Without thinking, she leans across the center console, one hand holding the other side of his head, and presses her lips against his cheek. “Thank you, Victor. Have a good night.” She slips out of the car and into the street-lit night, crossing the sidewalk and entering the apartment building.

He rubs a hand down his chin, trying and failing to hide the smile from spreading across his face. His cheek is tingling from her kiss. Holy shit, what did I just get myself into? he wonders.

A minute later, a message pops up on the dashboard screen:

⭐Bar Girlfriend⭐

I'm inside. See you around, bar boyfriend. -Nova

Victor laughs and grabs his phone from the cup holder.

Good night, bar girlfriend.

He idles outside the building for another minute to collect himself, in disbelief of how his evening went off the rails in the best way, before putting the car in reverse and driving away.

He wonders if he’ll ever see the beautiful blonde again. He wants to, badly. But Mountain College girls hardly ever stay in Seabrook after graduation, and he’s happy here. Nova seems smart and ambitious, and surely, she wants to go somewhere else after college. He sighs and cracks open a window to let the fall air cool his skin. Maybe this was just a fun night that’ll never happen again. At least he got to kiss a pretty girl, and he didn't need to use any lines.

Throwing the car in reverse, Victor carefully peels out of the spot and drives home. He’s stone cold sober, which he didn’t plan for tonight, but he doesn’t mind. There is beer at home, and he got to show up an annoying fraternity brother in his hometown. That’s a win.

Chapter Text

Salt & Steel Auto and Restoration is Victor’s second home. It's the place he learned how to change a tire, replace brake fluid, and check the torque on a Honda Accord. It's where he got experiential learning credit in high school as a student in the career and technical center. It's the first and only place he’s ever worked full-time, and he loves it.

School was never worth his time, but when he learned about Seabrook High’s Career and Technical Education program, he started caring about his education. He applied for the autobody program, was accepted, and never looked back. CTE kept him motivated and in school, and the moment he passed his certification exam was one of the proudest moments of his life. The certificate opened doors to work opportunities, and Salt & Steel was the first place he applied to. The owner, Marcus, became his mentor during the internship period of the high school program and offered him a job on the spot. After two years, he’s worked his way through the business, finding his passion in restoring the vintage cars of Seabrook’s wealthy, but he helps where he is needed. Some days, it's putting new tires on a minivan, swapping out engine filters, changing the oil, mixing paint colors for body work, or wrapping a car in vinyl.

It's late the next morning when his phone rings. He wipes the sweat off his brow and replaces the engine oil dipstick before digging his phone out of his grey coverall. His brows fly up his forehead when he sees the caller is Nova.

He glances around the garage and steps into the sun, walking away from the sound of drills and engines running, before answering. “Hello? Nova?”

The woman on the other end of the line releases an uneasy exhale. “Oh, thank God, you picked up. Hey. I'm sorry for calling out of the blue, but I need your help. Again.” She laughs nervously.

Victor leans against the brick wall and kicks a rock across the pavement, suddenly curious. “What's up?”

“So you remember Ray, the guy from yesterday?”

That heightens his focus even more than it already was when he heard her voice. “What did he do?” He immediately asks, on high alert. “Where are you? Are you okay?”

She huffs a little, and something rustles around her phone. “Yes, I'm okay. My friend, Maddie, is in a sorority, and they're hosting a mixer with the brothers in Ray’s frat this weekend. I am already getting dragged to it, but she heard about yesterday’s incident at the bar, specifically that I have a boyfriend, and demanded that I bring you. To make matters even worse, Ray approached me after my poli sci class this morning, which I was honestly shocked he was awake for, and he told me that he expects to see you with me at the party. Or I could admit that I lied to him and you aren't actually my boyfriend. I think he mostly bought the act, and I cannot give him that victory. So, could you pretend to be my boyfriend for the weekend, and maybe for a few weeks until that dick finally takes the hint and leaves me alone?”

He can't believe what he’s hearing. He’s sure he’s got a dumbfounded expression on his face. The girl he thought he might not ever see again needs him. She needs him this weekend. He’d cheer if the moment called for it.

“Victor?” Nova’s voice snaps him out of his stupor. “Are you there? Or did I just make a fool of myself and misread the vibes from yesterday?”

Victor clears his throat and shakes his head a few times. “Y-yeah! I'm here. Can I- hold up.” He fishes his earbud case out of his pocket, slips one in his ear, and holds his phone up to request to Facetime her. He needs to see her face for this, to truly understand what she’s asking him. To make sure that she’s serious.

It takes a few seconds, but the camera connects, and he sees her face on his screen. She’s on campus, her ponytail and wisps of hair blowing in the breeze behind her. Her face is flushed pink from exertion. “Hi,” he says softly, a smile stretching across his face.

A smile crosses her lips when she sees him. “Hello,” she says in a quiet, reserved voice.

”Hey.” His breath catches in his throat, and he has to clear his throat again before speaking. “So let me get this straight: you want me to pretend to be your boyfriend to sell a story you told a frat boy, all so he can leave you alone?”

Nova bites her lip and looks around her surroundings for anyone listening before nodding. “Yeah. I know it sounds crazy, but if I fake being sick and blow off the mixer, people will be suspicious because I almost never get ill. Ray will know I lied, will go scream it to his parents, who will then tell my parents, and it will be ugly at Thanksgiving on the other side of town. Will you help me? Please?” Her blue eyes look so hopeful, and he can't refuse her.

Victor knew before he saw her face on his phone that he’d say yes. The pull he feels toward her is magnetic. He felt it last night when she kissed him, when she took his arm on the sidewalk, and when she kissed his cheek before getting out of his car. This is his chance to get to know her even better and make fun of a frat bro at the same time.

“What do I get out of this?” He asks, despite not being interested in the benefits for him.

The blonde stops and thinks. “Uh, my friendship, free booze and beer, and weekend plans? The opportunity to show frat boys why normal people with real jobs are better? And the chance to flip off my middle school bully?”

Grinning, he pushes himself off the wall and walks back to the garage, where the sound of engines grows louder. “I'm in, Sunshine.”

“Sunshine?” She repeats, taken aback.

“It’s your nickname. My girlfriend needs a nickname, and you remind me of sunshine. It fits.” The smirk he sends her makes her stomach do flips.

She purses her lips. “Great, now I need to come up with a nickname for you,” she complains lightheartedly, before turning serious. “Thank you, Victor. Really, thank you for having my back and doing this.”

“You're welcome, Nova. I have to get back to work, but I'll see you at 8.”

Nova tilts her head, surprised. “Tonight?”

He nods. “Yup. We need to get our story straight if we want to sell it, don't we? I'll bring food. Send me your order for Chinese food and I'll bring it over to your place. Now I really have to go, or my boss is going to shout. I'll see you later, Nova.”

The young woman shakes her head and smiles. “See you later, Victor,” she says softly.

-

Dinner with Victor on Friday night in her apartment was lighthearted and fun. Luckily, Addison was out for the night at an away football game with the cheer team, so she wouldn’t have to start living the lie immediately. They established their story; they had consistent answers if anyone asked at the mixer on Saturday night. They met over the summer when Nova got a flat tire. The truck towed her to Salt & Steel, where Victor assessed the damage and gave her his number and a small discount on the set of 4 tires she needed to replace. He thought she was the prettiest girl he’d ever seen. She thought he was mysteriously charming, but let him take her out before school started back up. Since then, they’ve been quietly seeing each other. They didn’t talk about their relationship publicly because they wanted to be sure about their feelings before sharing them with their friends.

They stayed up late talking about anything and everything, long after the food was finished, and time slipped by quickly. Before they knew it, it was 11:30. Victor was scheduled to work early the next morning, so he left her with a firm hug and a promise to be back at her apartment at 9 the next night so they could leave for the party. As she closed the door after him, she bit her lip, her stomach doing flips again. This might actually work, and she might have a new friend she can trust with anything.

Saturday evening is here before she knows it, and a pit of worry forms in her stomach the closer the clock ticks to 9 pm. She changes out of the sweat set she wore to complete homework for most of the day into a black long-sleeve body suit and denim skirt. The nerves of seeing Ray again, even with the rock-solid plan she and Victor have come up with, are starting to get to her, so she takes a shot of Pink Whitney to loosen her up before starting her makeup.

Victor texts at 8:45 that he’s outside and asks if he can come up. Nova lets out a panicked squeak, goes back to the kitchen, and takes a second shot of Pink Whitney before texting him back.

I’m still getting ready but come in.

Two minutes later, a knock at the door interrupts her pacing. She runs to the door, peeks through the peephole, and throws the door open before grabbing his arm and pulling him inside. “I’m panicking, I’ve had two shots of vodka lemonade to settle my nerves, and it hasn’t worked, and I haven’t finished my makeup!”

Brown eyes widen in surprise at the admission from the blonde, and he steps forward, placing both hands on her shoulders to stop her pacing. “Nova, look at me.”

Blue eyes slightly dilated snap up to meet his, and he slides his hands down to take hers, giving them a soft squeeze. It immediately settles her, and she takes a deep breath.

“Sorry,” she laughs nervously. “I’m a bit anxious about tonight. I don’t know why, I just am.” She rocks back on her heels.

“There’s no reason to be nervous. We’ve got a great plan, we aren’t exactly strangers anymore, and hopefully, people will be drunk enough that they don’t remember a thing.” He winks, and it makes her melt a little inside.

She nods and squeezes his hand in return before stepping back. “Okay, give me a minute to put some mascara on. I need to find my earrings and boots, and then we can go.” She turns and walks down the hall to her bathroom. Footsteps follow after her, and a glance over her shoulder confirms that he’s following her.

“So I was thinking,” he says casually, leaning against the bathroom door frame. His eyes watch as she searches for the tube of mascara in a drawer. “We have a story, but we never talked about boundaries. What are you comfortable with me doing, what is not okay?”

Nova swipes on a few coats of mascara before eyeing him cautiously in the mirror, taking in his appearance. He’s dressed for a frat party: black untucked polo shirt, silver necklace, dark jeans, and sneakers. The sleeve of tattoos on his arm will help him fit in with the other college students. He looks hot, but she’s not going to tell him that. “What do you mean?” She picks up a gold hoop earring, slips it into her earlobe, and attaches the backing before repeating with the other ear.

Victor crosses the threshold and steps behind her. He’s not standing against her back, but he’s close, maybe a step and a half away. She can feel his breath against her shoulder.

“Like, can I hold your hand?” He takes one hand that’s fallen to her side. “Am I allowed to touch your waist?” He waits for her to nod at him in the mirror. When she does, he rests a hand on her waist. “Can I hug you from behind?” She nods again, and the hand around her waist slips across her stomach to hug her. The intimacy of the moment has her heart skipping a beat.

“The most important one is, am I allowed to kiss you when we’re out in public?”

Nova thinks her heart skips several beats in her chest. She takes a breath and turns to face him. Part of her wants to jump him now. But she knows he won’t push her without her permission. “If it sells the relationship, then yeah, you can kiss me.”

The man nods, satisfied with her answer. “Promise me you’ll tell me if it ever gets to be too much? I don’t want to create problems in the future or bring up past dating traumas.”

She sucks her lips into a thin line before she answers. “I promise. The same goes for you,” she states, conviction clear in her voice.

Victor steps back with a smirk. He drags his hand down her arm to take her hand and tugs her out of the bathroom. “Alright, sunshine. We’ve got a party to get to. I was promised I could flip off your middle school bully, and I want a beer.”

-

Nova and Victor destroy Ray and one of the sorority girls in beer pong. Moments before he sinks the final ping pong ball into their opponent’s cup, he whispers an idea for their celebration into her ear. Maybe she agrees a little too eagerly (thank you, vodka lemonade!), but he doesn’t seem to notice. Seconds later, the room erupts in cheers, and Victor slides his arms around her waist, the material of her body suit clinging to all the right places, and kisses her soundly. It really pisses off Ray, who stomps away and leaves her a little dizzy. That night, several more kisses are shared between the pair and are witnessed by many. As they leave after 1 am, he drapes his leather jacket over her shoulders and guides her toward his BMW.

“You are a giggly drunk, Nova,” he decides while trying to keep her from tripping over the sidewalk.

She hiccups and smiles brightly at him while taking his arm. “I had more fun than I thought I would. Thank you for being my fake boyfriend.” She gives him a dramatic wink that is actually just her blinking.

Victor shakes his head, chuckling. “I never thought I’d end up at a frat party, Nov.” He unlocks the car, and the LED lights brighten the street as he helps her into the passenger seat. When she’s safely secured in the soft leather seats, he shuts the door and circles the front to climb inside. Once he’s seated, her head rolls to the side and leans against his shoulder.

When he bought his BMW, one of the first things he did was add window tint to the interior. He called it “protecting the interior of his investment.” Vera called it a “massive waste of money.” The tint affords him extra privacy, and by association, it gives Nova the same protection. The clock on the dashboard reads 1:53 am, and the streets are basically empty. There is no need to continue their act of fake dating. But the way Nova is leaning against him, like it's the most natural thing in the world.

“You okay?” Victor lightly rests his head on top of hers and closes his eyes for a moment. He feels her sigh heavily and nod against his arm.

“I’m sleepy,” she yawns. “I’m glad you came with me. Party would’ve sucked going solo.”

-

When Nova wakes up around noon later that day, her head pounding and mouth dry, she sees a text from Maddie with several pictures of her and Victor, including a blurry one of them kissing.

After swallowing an ibuprofen and drinking an entire bottle of water, she texts him the pictures. How’s this for a hard launch?

A minute later, a bubble appears with his response. I think it’s the biggest middle finger ever.

Then, I had fun last night. You kept all your promises, Sunshine.

Nova hides the smile on her face in her pillow. This fake dating thing could be a lot of fun, or it could be the biggest disaster ever. She hopes it’s the first thing, because she had fun with Victor.

Chapter Text

Word eventually gets to Addison that Nova has a boyfriend. To say she was excited would be an understatement.

“Nova! Do you have a boyfriend? And you didn’t tell me?!” Addy shouts as soon as she unlocks the apartment door, about two weeks after the mixer.

The younger blonde’s face turns red, and she avoids her roommate’s excited gaze. Unfortunately, avoiding Addison’s gaze only confirms the rumor, and the cheerleader lets out a scream. She drops her cheer bag at the door and runs toward the other girl sitting on the couch.

“Oh my God! When did this happen? Who is he? How did you meet?” She rattles off questions like paparazzi on the red carpet, and Nova freezes.

Part of the plan she and Victor made up that Friday before the party was whether they'd tell the truth to their friends or not about what really happened. Together, they decided to alter the story slightly, adding that they made their relationship official the night Ray tried to get with her, when he intervened at the bar, she kissed him, and called him her boyfriend. Lying to her best friend, the girl she considers to be her older sister, feels so wrong, but they can’t afford for anyone to slip up.

Nova tucks a loose hair behind her ear and plasters a shy smile on her face. “I’m sorry, Addy! It’s just that the relationship is still so new, and we only just put a label on it two weeks ago. I promise I wasn’t hiding anything from you.” She shifts on the couch cushions so she’s facing the other girl. “But you remember how rough those few weeks were last year for me. I had to make sure the feelings were real.”

Addison’s eyes are full of understanding as she surges forward to hug her. “I understand, Supernova. And I’m so proud of you for being brave and putting yourself out there again. But I wish I had heard it from you, not from someone down the hall who asked about the guy hugging you outside our apartment last week!”

“I know. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner,” Nova apologizes. “But can I tell you all about Victor?”

A loud, “Yes!” makes the young woman jump and let out a nervous laugh.

“Okay, calm down. I’ll tell you the story!”

Fake dating Victor feels as easy as breathing. It should scare her, it really should, but it doesn't. He doesn't scare her. He’s turned into a reliable friend who has a joke to share, an ear to listen, and he gives some of the best hugs she’s ever received. In the few short weeks that they’ve known each other, they’ve been out in public on a few occasions, mostly parties that Nova’s friends beg her to attend on Friday and Saturday nights. People seem to be buying the act, especially when he comes to pick her up from class. But they’ve hung out in non-public ways too. When he’s picked her up from campus, they’ve gone to his apartment so she could study, ordered takeout, and spent hours talking. She’s gone to the auto shop he works at and done little things around the business to help, much to the delight of the owner.

It comes as no surprise to her when Addison suggests having Victor over for dinner. “Zed and I want to get to know your man outside of the social events. You’re important to us, and we want you to be happy,” she says the day after Nova revealed her new “boyfriend” to her roommate.

“Yeah,” Zed adds from where he’s lounging on the couch. “And I need to make it clear that as your adopted older brother, it's my job to know what his intentions are with you.”

Nova looks between the couple and rushes forward to hug both of them. Even if her relationship is a lie, the love she feels for the couple in front of her is so strong. Their support means the world to her. “I love you guys. I'll ask him. Maybe he can come to a football game and we can get dinner to bring back here afterwards?”

“I think that's a great idea, Supernova. Ask him if he’s free on Saturday, and I'll make sure to get out of anything extra with cheer after the game.”

Victor agrees to the game, and Nova can't help but feel relieved when they reach their seats, holding hands, to find that they're right near the cheerleaders. Addison spots her almost immediately and waves at her with her pom.

She claps when her roommate is tossed into the air and strikes a pose on one foot. When the football team scores a touchdown, he picks her up in celebration with the crowd, cheering loudly. It feels normal, almost natural. He makes her feel safe. The selfie they take during halftime becomes her lock screen, Victor with his arm around her shoulders and leaning his head against hers, and she tucked against his chest as a gust of cooler mountain air blew. Her smile is bright, and she looks so happy.

Hours later, after the celebration of Mountain College’s victory, the two couples crash on the couch and at the table of the girls’ apartment and stuff themselves with pasta, pizza, and homemade meatballs from a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that Victor’s gone to for most of his life. Zed declares it's the best food he’s ever consumed. Addison shakes her head and says, “he declares this about every meal he eats after a game. But this is really delicious. Thanks for the suggestion, Victor!”

Nova and Victor exchange a knowing look and continue eating. Their knees bump against each other under the table and it sends a jolt of electricity through both of them without the other realizing it.

Soon, the plates are empty, and the girls put away the leftovers for later in the kitchen, leaving the boys in the living room.

“Vic- can I call you Vic?” Zed begins.

“Please don't.”

The athlete doesn't hear him. “Vic, I have to know what your intentions are with my girl, Nova. She’s like a little sister to me, and I already have one, Zoey.” He leans forward, resting his arms on his knees, and lowers his voice. “Look, I'm going to be straight with you. Nova is special. She cares deeply about others and always wants to do the right thing, but she can be blinded by the act people give, and it's hurt her in the past. I see the way you look at her, and I think it's the same way I look at Addy. Like she’s the sun and the universe spins around her. But if you're just playing games with her, I need you to walk out that door now and never speak to her again.”

Victor understands exactly where Zed is coming from. “I get it. She’s told me about bad experiences in the past. She mentioned the situation from last year early on when we started hanging out. That's why we kept things quiet for so long, because she wanted to be sure about her feelings, and I had to do the same.” He swallows before meeting the other guy’s careful eyes. “I know she’s special. She’s sunshine personified, and I care a lot about her. I don't know what that means for the future, but I like my life a lot with her in it.” There is so much truth to his words, even when they are filled with lies. It leaves an uncomfortable feeling in his chest, lying to these people who are so important to Nova. He can’t even imagine what telling Addison about them must've felt like for her.

Zed nods, seeming satisfied with his answer. “Good. Because if you hurt her, I will track you down. I know people. You got it?”

He nods. “Crystal clear.”

A couple of hours later, Zed is passed out on the couch, exhaustion from the game finally catching up to him, and Victor calls it a night. Nova follows him out to his car, keeping just enough space between them to be casual, but still close enough to sell the relationship to anyone watching.

“Well, that went well,” Nova declares when they reach the BMW. She leans her hip against the door and crosses her arms over her chest, looking at him. “I think Addy likes you. She’s a foodie and as we were putting the leftovers away, she was raving about how she wants to go back to the restaurant for date night.”

Victor chuckles and shoves his hands in his pockets, mimicking the blonde's stance of leaning against the car. “Good. I had fun. Even though Zed gave me the whole ‘if you hurt my little sister, I know a guy and I will find you’ talk.” They both laugh lightly. “So you think they bought it?”

Nova looks over her shoulder and sees Addison’s silhouette in the window, looking out at the parking lot, and she takes half a step closer to him. “She’s watching. And yeah,” she says, meeting his eyes. “I think they bought it. I hate lying to them, but it's like we said. We can't let anyone slip up and mess this up.”

He nods and opens his arms, which she immediately steps into. Her sense of smell is immediately overwhelmed by the scent of leather, pine, and the faintest hint of motor oil.

“You smell really good,” she says carefully. “It's so much better than Old Spice and beer.”

Victor laughs and turns his head so his mouth is beside her ear. “I had to impress your friends.” He pauses, then adds, “Should I kiss you if she’s watching?”

“I think she’s expecting it so she has an excuse to wake Zed up with her squeals.”

He needs no further explanation. He lifts his head and hers so he can press their lips together in a soft, sweet kiss. After a few seconds, he pulls away. “How's that?”

Nova opens her eyes and presses her lips together. “Perfect.” She wants to say, ‘Can we just keep kissing because that made my spine all tingly and your hands feel great on my back?’ Instead, she gives him one more hug and kisses his cheek. “Good night, Victor.”

Flashing her his signature smirk, he tucks a hair behind her ear before pulling away fully and opening the drivers door. “Good night, Nova.”

When she returns upstairs to the apartment, Zed is sitting up, looking groggy and confused while Addison bounces on the balls of her feet. “Oh my gosh, Nova, he’s perfect for you!”

The following week, Victor meets his best friends, Vera and Vargas, for lunch across the street from the college campus. As soon as Vera sits down across from him, she eyes him warily.

“You seem suspiciously happy. What's wrong with you? Why are you smiling? Did you get laid recently?” The pre-law student launches into questioning him like he’s on the stand.

“Hello, Vera. It’s nice to see you too.” He leans out of his seat to dap Vargas up since he didn’t see his roommate this morning. “No, I have not gotten laid. I'm just in a good mood,” he responds casually. A text from Nova chimes on his phone, and a smile stretches across his lips as he responds. “Can’t a guy be happy and not be suspicious?”

“I think there's a girl involved,” Vargas claims as he leans back in his seat. He opens his Chipotle order and dumps pico de gallo all over the bowl. “There have been long blonde hairs lying around the apartment and on the passenger seat in his car recently. I just haven't seen her. She’s a mystery.” The Australian waves his fingers around like he’s casting a spell.

Vera raises a carefully arched eyebrow toward Victor. “Please explain. You were just smiling at your phone like you were when you bought your car. You look like a man who’s found his soulmate. Who is this lucky lady and why haven’t I met her yet?”

He sighs and tucks the phone away. He rests his elbows on the table. “I met a girl, Nova, over the summer. We’ve been seeing each other for a little while now. It was casual before, but it's turning serious.”

Between bites of his burrito, he details the story of his fake relationship, framing it as the truth. He shows them the selfie from the football game, the picture Addison took of them hugging the night they had dinner together, Nova lounging in the break room at Salt & Steel. Lying to his best friends is hard. But the more he speaks, the more he wants to explore what being in an actual relationship with Nova would be like. She’s beautiful, charming, crazy smart, and caring. He wants more, but he doesn't know if she wants that, and he doesn't want to risk the friendship they've built up.

His two friends don't say a word until he finishes speaking. They look at each other and then at him, before asking, “When do we meet her?”

Their reaction surprises him. “Soon,” he says, with a light smile. “I'll ask her when she wants to meet you guys.” Even if they meet her as a friend and not my fake girlfriend, I know they'd love Nova.

Vera levels him with a serious look. “I want the meet the girl who has you down bad, Victor. I’ve never seen you like this, and I have to meet Nova.” She looks at her watch and grabs her backpack from the chair beside her. “I have to go. My next class starts in fifteen minutes. Victor?” She points at her friend as she stands. “Make this meet-and-greet happen. I can’t meet this girl after Vargas does, especially if she’s been to your apartment enough times to leave hair behind.”

He gives the young woman a little salute before biting into his burrito again. “Yes, Vera. Bye, Vera.”

-

Later that afternoon, Victor is the only one on the garage floor of Salt & Steel, working under the hood of a SUV, while his boss works in the office. Everyone else on the schedule went home for the day. It's warmer than usual, especially for late October, and since no one else is around, he unbuttoned his coveralls and let them hang down from his waist while he worked. The shop will be closing soon for the evening anyway, so the atmosphere is much more relaxed.

He doesn't hear the footsteps approaching the open garage, but he does hear a soft gasp and something that sounds like, “Holy arms.”

It startles him so much that he jerks up, hits his head on the car hood, and lets out a loud, “Fuck!”

Nova can't believe the sight before her. She knew Victor had big arm muscles, but she had never seen them until now. He’s bent over, looking under the hood of a car, his arms and chest on full display, save for the white undershirt he’s wearing with some grease stains. She can see the full sleeve of tattoos on his arm now. The artwork is usually partially hidden by his shirt sleeves, but now she sees the full ink, detailed and elaborate. She wants to trace the lines on his arms and the veins that stick out when he flexes his muscles with her fingers. The moment he hits his head, though, she snaps out of her arm-filled thoughts and rushes forward.

“Oh my God, are you okay?”

Victor straightens and rubs the back of his head, which is doing nothing but creating a flurry of butterflies in her stomach and making her skin warm, just not from the temperature outside. “Yeah, I'm fine. It's happened before, but never because of ‘holy arms.’” He squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head twice to refocus.

She blushes furiously and looks away. When he opens his eyes and sees her flushed face, a wide smile stretches across his face. He steps forward and takes one of her hands, squeezing it.

“Hey, Sunshine. What are you doing here?”

She shrugs and slides the backpack he didn't notice before off her shoulders. “I needed a change of scenery to study. The library is filling up with too many people now that midterms are close, and Addy and Zed are “bonding” at the apartment, so I kicked myself out. I hoped I could study here and crash at your place tonight.” Her blue eyes are hopeful, and he agrees without hesitation.

“Yeah, you know you can hang here. It’s just me because we’re closing in a bit, and I was going to hang around a little while to finish something.” He drops her hand and takes the backpack from her, leading her to a high-top table and chair along the wall. She follows a few steps behind, and he shifts her bag over his shoulder, flexing his arm and back muscles.

She quietly gasps, and he looks over his shoulder and catches her gaping expression. “You like what you see?” He teases with a wink.

“It's fine,” she says, flustered, looking anywhere but him.

He sets the bag down on the table and grabs her wrist before she can sit, pulling her towards him. A small hand lands on his chest, and bright blue eyes dart up to meet his. “I know you're lying, Nova,” he whispers in her ear. “You're allowed to appreciate your boyfriend’s good looks.”

Her mouth drops slightly, surprised by the forward comment. “But you're the only one here. We don’t need to act like this when no one else is here,” she reminds him softly. The reminder feels like a stab to the chest. She likes that he is being so brash, but it does things to her head and heart that make her question what they are, and if they are still faking their relationship.

“You can still ogle.” He releases her wrist and winks, then steps away to return to his work.

Nova’s jaw hangs wide open now, clearly taken aback. He has to be teasing her. Or he’s flirting with her. “Are- are you flirting with me?”

“I might be,” Victor replies. He bends over the front of the car and resumes his earlier task of replacing spark plugs in a Bronco before he was interrupted by the blonde.

Disbelief covers her face, but she shakes it off. He’s never been this bold with her before, and it makes her heart race. There has to be more meaning behind this, but she can't let herself be distracted right now. She moves the tall barstool to the other side of the high top table and slips her laptop from her backpack so she can start her homework.

“You’re insufferable,” she says just loud enough for him to hear.

A light laugh fills the space, making her smile even bigger and look at her friend in amusement. “And for some reason, you keep coming back, Bright.”

“It’s because you’re easy on the eyes,” she fires back, shifting her attention back to signing into her computer. She tucks a hair that’s fallen out of her ponytail behind her ear and rests her cheek on her palm, which hides her smile.

They work in comfortable silence for several minutes, with the occasional comment or tool landing on the concrete floor breaking up the quiet. As the sun starts to sink on the horizon, shadows form across the garage, making it harder for Nova to read her handwritten notes. She eventually gives up, closes her laptop, and drags the chair across the floor until she’s beside Victor and can watch him work.

“What are you doing?” She asks once she’s perched on the stool. Her eyes take in the complicated engine parts under the hood, and the man carefully reattaching pieces.

“Well, right now, I’m replacing spark plugs. This is a tricky job because they are buried deep in the engine, and you can’t see them directly, only the wires going down to them. I have to disconnect each wire, use a socket wrench to reach down the narrow hole, and unscrew the old ones.” He looks up and reaches into his coverall pocket to pull out a small metal and ceramic piece about the length of her finger. He holds it out for her. “This is a spark plug. They help the engine run and create a spark that ignites the fuel.”

Before she can ask a follow-up question, a truck horn beeps from the parking lot in front of the building, and they turn to look outside. A tow truck slowly approaches the garage with a white Mercedes GLC Coupe trailing behind.

Victor straightens and glances at the driver, immediately recognizing him, then at the passenger, and lets out a low, “Oh, fuck.” His face immediately hardens.

Nova follows his gaze, and her shoulders tense as she groans. “You’re kidding me.”

In the passenger seat sits Ray Lerner with a deep scowl on his face. When he sees them standing in the garage, he rolls his eyes and climbs out of the tow truck.

“You've got to be fucking with me. You're a mechanic?” he shouts as he slams the door shut. He throws his arms up in disbelief. “Of all the places you bring me, you bring me here?” He cries to the driver, who can’t hear him.

Victor wipes his hands on the towel sitting on a cart nearby and points at the cascading file organizer near the waiting room door. In a low voice, he asks her, “Could you grab an intake form and a clipboard for me?”

The blonde looks at him and nods, happy to hold off on talking to the man who just pulled up for a few seconds longer. She takes a breath as she walks away from him, mentally preparing herself to turn on the fake dating act again.

He moves to the front of the garage and hits a switch to open the next bay door so the tow truck driver can pull through and set the SUV on the hydraulic lift. He waves the driver into the service bay and follows after to signal where to stop. While he waits for the driver to lower the front of the vehicle to the ground, he does his initial inspection to assess for problems. His eyes land on the heavily deflated front tire, and he immediately knows the problem.

“Here.” Nova hands him the clipboard and a pen with a hesitant smile and moves to stand just behind him, watching as Ray approaches.

“Well, look who it is,” the frat boy mutters bitterly. “Mountain College’s favorite couple. Nova, this is who you’re still choosing to spend your time with? A guy covered in motor oil and grease? What would your parents think?” His tone is mocking, and she steps closer to Victor. The words are cruel, and she’d love to give him a piece of her mind. Before she can open her mouth to answer, the mechanic gently bumps her arm, and she falls quiet. It wasn’t to silence her. He needs to do his job, even if the customer is a massive prick. Starting an argument is only going to create more issues for both of them.

“You’ve got a pretty serious flat tire on the front left. Is there anything else wrong with the car?” He asks as he fills out the make, model, color, and initial assessment on the intake sheet. He squeezes Nova’s arm gently, a silent “I’ve got this,” before taking the car key from the tow truck driver so he can write down the mileage and VIN. When he slides inside the luxury SUV and turns it on, the dashboard lights up with what looks like 15 different alerts. The check engine light, service needed, headlight out, brake warning, and several other warnings flash before him. On top of that, the state inspection sticker on the windshield is 6 months overdue. He quietly groans. This is going to be a lot of work.

He writes the warnings on the paper, turns off the vehicle, and climbs out with a shake of his head. “When was the last time your car was serviced by a dealer or mechanic?” He asks carefully, trying to remain professional.

“Why? What’s wrong with it? What did you do?” Ray asks, his voice accusatory. He crosses his arms over his chest.

“You have so many warning lights on the dashboard. You’re a couple thousand miles overdue for an oil change. Your brake light was on. It’s a miracle you didn’t get into a crash with all the issues. The flat tire is the least of your worries, but it’s gonna be one of the most expensive problems to fix. Oh, and your state inspection is more than six months overdue.” He circles the car to inspect the tread on the other three tires, and a visual check confirms he’s going to need a whole new set. “And we’re closing any minute now, so I can’t work on it today.”

Ray doesn’t like that news. “No. I can’t do that. There’s a party and I need my car tonight.”

Victor shakes his head. “You have a flat tire, and I don’t have the correct set of tires that fit your car in stock to fix it now. I have to special order them and pick them up tomorrow. You’re not leaving with your car tonight. I’m sorry, man.”

“Do you know who my father is?” The curly-haired brunette asks in a raised voice and steps forward, looking to get in his face.

Nova rolls her eyes. Leave it to him to pull the ‘do you know who my daddy is?’ card. She grabs the clipboard from Victor’s hands and starts filling in the personal information section from the top of her head. His name, phone number, and address are easy things to add, and it will hurry the process along.

The mechanic holds his ground when the angry customer gets close. “No, and I really don’t care. Your car isn’t safe to drive. I can get the really important stuff fixed for you by tomorrow afternoon, Sunday at the latest. The less important stuff can wait for your next service appointment. At most, I can place an order for tires now, have you sign off on it, and get them tomorrow. I can’t tell you how much everything else is going to cost until I get under the hood to take a look. But I can tell you, it’s not going to be cheap.” Victor speaks matter-of-factly. It’s vastly different from how he speaks to her, and his restraint is impressive.

Ray’s jaw clenches, and his hands clench into fists. He doesn’t say anything, eyes flickering between Victor and his car, before he speaks. “Define important stuff.”

“At a glance? State inspection, new tires, oil change, brake pads, and headlights. All things that could get you pulled over by the cops. Maybe not the brake inspection, but people will ask questions if you lose control on the road and crash if you can’t brake because the pads are rubber bands. And honestly, I bet you need a new battery too. I have to test it, but you’ll probably need to replace that,” Victor runs off on his fingers. “Again, I’d have to look under the hood to see what else might be wrong. But you’re not driving this car out of my garage tonight.”

The brunette’s eyes nearly bulge out of the sockets at the long list of fixes. “Fine. I’ll pay for the tire now.”

“No, not tire. Tires. You have 60,000 miles on your car, and tires are good for thirty to fifty thousand miles. The tread on the other three tires is almost non-existent. Winter is coming, and you’ll be slipping and sliding on the road if you don’t get new ones.”

The man groans. “Okay, fine. Let me pay the tow truck, and then I’ll pay for the new tires.”

A few minutes later, Ray is standing at the register counter with Nova, signing the work authorization paperwork for the shop to purchase the new tires and install them. “This is who you want to spend your time with, Nova? A mechanic? Is this the life you want to have?” He asks again, his voice less heated, more concerned. He slides the paper across the counter towards her.

Nova turns on her heels and makes a copy of it for him to take. “Not that it’s any of your business, Ray, but I like Victor,” she says calmly over her shoulder. “He’s a good person. He has a job he worked hard to get, and he gets a paycheck. A really good paycheck, actually. He doesn’t need to use his parents’ credit card to pay for anything because he can take care of himself. As long as he’s happy, I am, and he makes me happy.” She offers him a sympathetic smile and shrugs. “And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry all this car trouble hit you at once. But he’s going to do good work and make sure it’s running the way it should be. This kind of work is personal to him. Victor doesn’t do a sloppy job, I promise.”

The man standing opposite her eyes her carefully and takes the copied paper from her. He clears his throat as he folds the receipt and looks down. “I’m sorry for coming onto you a few weeks ago. That wasn’t okay. You deserve to be treated with respect, and I did the opposite of that. I was drunk, and I thought that knowing you for as long as I have meant something. It’s clear you’ve got that respect with Victor.” A door to the garage opens off to the side, and the mechanic steps inside with a paper scribbled with notes. “I’m going to call an Uber and head out. Uh, Victor?” Ray’s voice lifts slightly as he straightens his shoulders.

The man in question looks up, an eyebrow raised. He stopped beside Nova, resting a hand on her back to squeeze before taking the signed copy of the work authorization to attach to his notes. “Yeah?”

Ray steps forward and holds a hand out. “Thank you. I’m sorry for acting like such an ass when I got here. Nova says you do good work, and for as long as I’ve known her, she’s always told the truth.”

Victor looks at the extended hand, considers it for half a second, sets the papers down on the counter, and shakes his hand. “Just doin’ my job. Someone will reach out tonight or tomorrow with a price estimate for the other work. It might be me, or it might be someone else.”

The couple watches as Ray exits the shop before Victor circles the counter and locks the front door, officially closing for the day.

Nova follows after him, a need to be near him taking over, and reaches out to grab his arm as he turns toward the garage. “Hey, Vic?”

He turns, and before he can answer, she wraps her arms around him and lays her head against his chest. Her eyes fall shut when his arms circle her shoulders, pulling her closer. She feels him press his lips against her hairline for a light kiss that makes her stomach flutter. He’s warm and smells like motor oil, but he’s present and caring and strong. The act feels different now. It felt so real a few minutes ago that she didn’t know what was real and what should have been fake.

Her heart was racing the entire time Ray was here, but now that he’s gone, she feels it start to slow. Watching Victor work, watching him handle a difficult customer they have a history with, and being involved in the work felt natural and automatic. The way he shifted to stand in front of her when Ray approached them, shouting and angry; the way she took the clipboard from him and he let her without any hesitation; the way he came up behind her at the counter and rested a hand on her back, a silent and steady ‘I’m here. I’ve got you.’ None of that felt forced and like a performance. It felt like them.

“I heard what he said,” he says, not loosening his hold on her just yet. One of his hands travels up her back to her ponytail, and he pulls the elastic out of her hair without a second thought. Blonde waves fall over her shoulders, and he runs his hand through the soft strands. “Gotta admit, I didn’t know he had it in him. The words ‘I’m sorry’ just don’t fit the normal stereotype of a frat boy.”

A ghost of a smile slips past her lips. She was surprised by Ray’s words, too. “People can surprise you. You just have to let them, even if they don’t always deserve it.”

A soft laugh reverberates in his chest, a light rumble against her ear. “I guess so, Sunshine.” He pulls back slightly and tucks a hair behind her ear. “Do you mind if I start the work list for his car? It shouldn’t take more than an hour, and then we can go. I’m not coming in until tomorrow afternoon, and I want whoever is here in the morning to know where to start.”

Nova shakes her head and leans her head against the hand that just tucked her hair away. “Not at all. I have nowhere else to be.” She smiles softly at him, and he returns it. “But that means I get first dibs on the snacks in the break room!” She slips out of his grip before he can blink and runs up the stairs to the lofted area of the garage.

Her laughter rings out among the concrete and steel space, and the smile on his face turns into a grin. Nova makes life so much lighter, more joyful. He is happier with her in his life. His feelings have shifted in the month since they started fake dating to something more serious, intentional. He wants her close at all times, and he misses her when she’s not around. A small part of him thinks she feels the same way, especially since she came to the garage on her own tonight, when she could’ve gone anywhere else to spend her Friday night. He wants to say something tonight, and her crashing at his apartment is the best excuse to be a little bold.

He reaches for the light switch to the front area of the shop, and the place darkens except for the emergency light. He follows her back into the service bay, where he hits the two switches to close the front garage doors, signaling to the outside world that Salt & Steel is closed for business for the evening.

“Hey, do you want to learn how to check a car for maintenance codes, or do you need to study some more?” He calls out as she descends the steps with a bag of chips in her hands.

She pauses her descent and looks touched at the invitation. He’s welcoming her into his world, just like she’s invited him into hers. It’s a small gesture that simultaneously warms her heart and makes her question if they’re still faking their feelings. “Yeah. Studying can wait. Show me.”

Chapter Text

“Victor?” Nova’s voice is careful, almost hesitant, when she speaks a little while later. She’s standing on the other side of the garage at the high top table where she worked earlier.

He pauses his inspection of the undercarriage of Ray’s Mercedes, suspended midair on the lift. His dark eyes gaze at her from across the garage, giving her his full attention. “Yeah?”

She bites her lip nervously. “What are we?”

The flashlight in his hand slips to the floor with a clatter. “What?” Victor feels like all the air has been sucked out of the room. His vision tunnels, and all he sees is her.

She chews on her lip before sliding her laptop into her backpack. “What are we? Are we friends? Are you just doing me a favor?” She pauses and looks down, now avoiding his eyes. She can't bear to look at him because her feelings are taking over, and she can't deal with the possibility of rejection. “Because I don’t know if I can do this anymore.”

Victor circles the hydraulic lift, desperate to be close to her yet confused, but stops short so he doesn’t crowd her. “I thought we were friends, Nova. I was helping you out of a tough situation,” he says carefully. Did I misread everything?

Every brush of her hand against his hand or arm, every hug they’d shared the last month, every joke, meal, text, every kiss they’d shared in public- none of that felt like friendship. It felt like something more. He wanted more. He thought she wanted more, too.

Nova tugs on the sleeves of her cropped sweatshirt, an anxious tick she does when she’s trying to speak but can't find the words to start. It doesn’t happen often, but in the short month they've known each other, he noticed this little detail about her.

“You kissed my head earlier, after Ray left,” she finally says, looking up. “You openly flirted with me and showed off your arm muscles when no one was here, which was very rude and hot, and it left me flustered. You- ugh!” She groans and hides her blushing face in her hands. “You’re infuriating and handsome and the one person I think about when I wake up in the morning, and it feels like a boundary that’s been crossed to the point of no return!” She starts pacing in a circle as she speaks. “I don’t want to fake date you anymore. I don’t think I can.” The words fall out of her like a floodgate opening. “No, I know I can’t. Because now I have feelings for you that go beyond basic friendship, and you’re a good person who shouldn’t be caught up in my mess, and I’m tired of lying to my friends and–”

Victor snaps out of his stupor and closes the distance between them in four steps. He cradles her face in his hands and catches her lips in a deep, all-consuming kiss. He swallows her gasp and feels her relax into him, the tension in her shoulders dropping almost immediately. Small hands slide up his chest and stop around his neck and in his hair, lightly scratching at his scalp. The sensation is addicting, along with the sounds Nova is making while kissing him. If God decided now was his time to go, he would die a happy man.

“It never felt fake to me,” he murmurs against her lips before capturing them again. One hand slips from her face, down her side, and to her leg. He bends down just enough to lift her off the ground, and her legs wrap around his torso, her arms winding loosely around his neck. “It was always real.” The words are a promise that has Nova gasping again.

From the moment his eyes met hers in the bar, he knew she was magic. She is sunshine personified, like he told Zed. She is peace and quiet and soft giggles when the world is noisy. She is beauty and grace and brains, and he can't understand how someone as smart as her would ever think she’s a mess.

Nova breaks their kiss, albeit very reluctantly, because oxygen became necessary. Her blue eyes are wide and pupils blown, her chest heaving. She takes several gasps of air as she looks him in the eyes, her hands now holding his face. “Really?” She finally asks, her soft voice shaking.

Victor rests his forehead against hers and nods. “Really.” He adjusts his grip on her body and lifts her a little more so his arms don't slip on the buttery soft fabric of her leggings. It makes his biceps and the veins in his arms pop. Her eyes and mouth drop, and he flashes a wicked grin. “Are you ogling me, Nova?”

The young woman blushes furiously again, her cheeks and the tips of her ears turning a rosy shade of pink. “Maybe,” she answers in a teasing tone. “What would you say if I said yes?”

He peppers a line of kisses down her jaw as he answers, “I'd say it's all yours, baby. Stare all you want.”

She lets out a breathy laugh. “Please tell me you want to be my boyfriend for real,” she says softly. “I can't fake it anymore.”

Victor pulls away from her jaw to meet her hopeful eyes. “Only if you will be my girlfriend. No more lies. I want everyone to know you're mine and I'm yours, for real.”

The blonde visibly melts above him and buries her face in his neck. “Yes. A thousand times, yes. Oh, thank God, you feel the same. The last two weeks have been torture.”

Victor's hand tangles itself in her blonde waves. They feel like silk against his calluses. He thinks his heart could burst from his chest from how fast it's beating. “Sunshine,” he whispers. It sounds like a low growl, and it makes her chest tighten in delight. “Can I please take you home? I really want to cuddle you and make out for hours, but not in a garage.”

Nova plants her lips to his cheek, her smile warming his entire body. “Only if you buy me dinner first. You are a workin’ man, after all. I was bragging about your great paycheck to some guy not too long ago.”

“Done. Second-best decision I've made all day.” He relaxes his grip on her legs to lower her to the floor, but doesn’t allow her to move from his arms just yet. One hand settles low on her back, fingers just grazing the skin revealed by her cropped sweatshirt, while the other holds the back of her head.

“What was the first?” She asks coyly.

“Kissing you.” Victor leans in and kisses her sweetly once, twice, three times. “Let me grab my keys and we’ll go.” His hand slides down her side to thread their fingers together and tugs her along with him.

Her heart nearly stops when she realizes this is the first time they are holding hands, and it isn’t for show. “But what about the-” she points at the forgotten SUV as he approaches the small line of lockers near the entrance of the garage.

“I don’t give a fuck about that guy’s car,” he answers as he unlocks his locker. He grabs his keys and sunglasses and slams the metal door shut. Then he hits the overhead light switches and picks up her backpack from the high-top table near the door. “I want to make out with my girlfriend on the couch. C’mon.” The emergency light softly illuminates the space as they leave through the back door.

Nova quickly discovers just how much restraint her boyfriend showed around her when they were fake-dating. Victor is quite affectionate, and it makes her dizzy with emotions. After he unlocks his car and places her backpack in the backseat, he turns to her, his eyes shifting from her eyes to her lips and back again. When she goes to open the passenger door, he stops her and steps into her space so her back is against the car. His hands cradle her face again, so much more tenderly than before, and she balances on her toes to bring him closer. Soft lips press against hers, and her back arches against the BMW. Their first real kiss was passionate, almost desperate. This one is just as deep but slower, more gentle. It makes her spine shiver, and she loops her arms around his neck to bring him even closer. Pressed between her boyfriend and the expensive car is the last place she thought she’d be this evening, but she’s delighted with the turn of events.

“You’re something else, Nova,” he mutters when air becomes essential for both of them. The kiss leaves her breathless, and she leans her head against his chest. His chest is rising and falling as heavily as hers, and she can’t help the giggle that leaves her lips.

Once they’ve both caught their breath, Victor opens the door for her, closes it, and runs, actually runs, to the driver’s side. The engine rumbles to life, and he takes her hand again, threading their fingers together. His grip is steady, firm. He looks at their joined hands before lifting them to his lips, placing a soft kiss on her skin. “What’re you thinking?”

She considers her options for a moment before meeting his waiting gaze. She squeezes his hand. “Chinese food. Just like when we hung out for the first time and you agreed to be my fake boyfriend.”

The look in Victor’s eyes is so open and disarming that she feels her breath catch in her throat again. A month ago, she never thought she’d be in a relationship, let alone with someone she met and kissed at a bar. Dating in college always sounds like a disaster, and she experienced it once before swearing it off. Sitting here now, in Victor’s car, holding his hand, she can’t believe she was brave enough to admit her feelings.

“Chinese it is,” he says with a note of finality in his voice. He kisses her knuckles before letting go of her hand. His hand drops to the gear shift and pushes the car into drive, peeling out of the parking lot so effortlessly. Once they’re on the main road, he moves his hand to rest on her knee, drawing lazy circles against her leggings.

At a red light, Nova covers his hand with hers. “It’s not strange how normal this feels, right?”

Victor shifts his gaze from the road to her, lips curving into a knowing smile. “Not weird at all. I like it. It’s us.”

-

When Nova previously hung out at his apartment, she never entered his room. They always sat in the living room area on the really nice couch his aunt bought him when he first moved out, or at the granite countertop island in the kitchen. His space was his space, and stepping inside it felt like an invasion of privacy.

After picking up dinner at a local Chinese food restaurant last night, Victor drove them to his apartment, where they promptly forgot about their food and made out on the couch for a while. He promised that his roommate, Vargas, wouldn’t be home until much later, so the chances of interruptions were very slim. Nova’s stomach growling is what finally broke them apart, and they heated their food in the microwave while laughing.

When they finished eating, Victor led her to his bedroom, took her in his arms, and, looking straight into her blue eyes, said, “I’m not asking for anything from you, Nova. All I want to do is make out with you some more while we ignore a movie and fall asleep with you in my arms. Is that okay?”

Nova melts into him and nods against his chest. “I would like nothing more than to do that too. But can I change first?”

His dark eyes light up at her question, and he pulls a drawer open. “Here,” he says, handing her a black t-shirt with a classic rock band logo on the front. It’s huge and soft and smells just like him. “I have shorts that my friend, Vera, leaves when she crashes here. We all keep spare clothes at each other’s places. We’ve done that since we were in preschool.” He digs through a smaller drawer and hands her the sleep shorts.

Taking the clothing items, she slides under his arm and presses a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you,” she whispers.

“You’re welcome. The bathroom’s the second door on the left. Vera leaves makeup remover and stuff under the sink. Help yourself.” He kisses her forehead and nudges her toward the hall.

The rest of the evening was spent curled up on his bed while barely watching the movie playing on TV. Between long kisses that made her toes curl and soft conversations under his comforter, Nova asked about the tattoos on his arm. He takes a shaky breath and avoids her eyes by rolling onto his back to stare at the ceiling.

The room is silent except for the low dialogue from the movie they’re ignoring. The tension shifts to something heavier, more serious. She grabs the remote from the nightstand to mute the TV and mimics his position by lying on her back. She takes his hand and squeezes, patiently waiting for him to speak.

“I lost my parents when I was six,” he finally says. “They got into a crash after their car slipped on black ice. It was the middle of winter, not long after New Year’s. I was at my aunt’s house, playing with my cousins, when it happened. They were coming to pick me up after a doctor’s appointment. Mom was pregnant with my baby sister. My aunt couldn’t get in touch with them. A police officer knocked on the door that night, and my life changed forever.” He shifts his gaze to meet her sympathetic eyes. “So the day I turned 18, I drove myself to a tattoo shop and started the sleeve. The diamond with the flower bouquet is for my mom because my dad always brought home flowers for her. She was born in December, so the narcissus is for her, and the delphinium is for dad because he was born in July. The baby’s breath is for the sister I never got to meet. I got their names on my ribs that same day. I spent all the birthday money my aunt gave me that year to get those done.”

Nova’s breath catches in her throat at the deep meaning behind the tattoos. “Can I see?”

He nods and sits up, tugging the undershirt over his head. The comforter pools at his waist as his bare chest comes into view, and Nova has to take a long breath to stop herself from jumping him.

“Here.” He points at three names written in cursive on the left side of his ribs, near his heart. Elizabeth, Michael, Baby Sister.

She sits up and quietly gasps. She pushes the blanket off her legs so she can shift closer to him. “Oh, Victor.” There’s a hint of sadness to her voice, and he shakes his head.

“I’m okay, Nova. I’m not telling you to upset you.”

Nova nods, biting her lip. She refuses to cry because he’s not getting emotional, explaining the story of these pieces of artwork. “What about the road? What’s the meaning behind the mountains and the road?”

Victor holds his arm out in front of them so they can both see the design. She wraps her hands around his elbow gently and leans her head against his shoulder. It’s her way of comforting him, even if he doesn’t need it, and reassuring him that she’s listening. He rests his head against hers and continues.

“My dad had a similar tattoo. He just had the mountains, but I added the road and the birds. I got it to honor him, and the journey it took to get to where I am now. Three of the birds are Mom, Dad, and my sister. So I’m always carrying their memories with me. I miss them every day, but I know they’d be proud of me. The last bird is for my Aunt Elaine, who raised me. She lives just outside of town.” He lowers his arm and looks at her, eyes honest and vulnerable. His hand lands on her bent knee and squeezes, his thumb absentmindedly tracing circles around the kneecap.

“That’s beautiful, Victor,” she says softly. She moves one hand down his arm and rests it on his. “Thank you for sharing this story with me. I think it’s beautiful how you honor them in such a permanent way.”

He leans forward to kiss her forehead and lingers for several moments. “Thank you for listening.” His voice is deep and gravely, and it makes her shiver.

A comfortable silence falls between them. It’s getting late, and the pair feels the events of the day catching up to them. Nova’s day was packed with classes and walking to the autoshop, and confessing her feelings to Victor. Victor’s was equally busy with lunch with his best friends and working, and making out with his new girlfriend.

“Hey,” he mutters. They fall back to the mattress, and he shifts to lie on his side. An arm wraps over her waist, pulling her closer. “My friends, Vargas and Vera, want to meet you.” It slips under her oversized t-shirt and rests on her back, warmth radiating from his hand.

She hums and tucks herself under his chin. “I want to meet them too. They’re important to you, so they’re important to me. Let’s make it happen.” She yawns against his chest and allows her eyes to fall shut. “Good night, Victor.” His steady heartbeat lulls her to sleep.

-

The morning arrives slowly. When Nova wakes up, it's to a comfortable weight across her stomach and Victor’s soft breath lightly brushing the back of her neck. She blinks, taking in her surroundings. She didn't see much of his room in the evening light, but in the soft morning sunlight, she can see much of it reflecting the Victor she got to know over the last four weeks. It's kind of messy, in a lived-in sort of way, with a hamper overflowing with laundry, a shiny model car on a bookshelf with a random assortment of books, his leather jacket hanging off the back of his desk chair. On the nightstand beside her, a picture of him and his parents when he was much younger is displayed in a silver frame. He’s a little rough around the edges, but there’s a hidden softness about him.

“Stop thinking, Sunshine,” a deep, sleepy voice mumbles in her ear. “It's too early.” The arm around her waist tightens slightly and tugs her backwards to his front.

“I'm not thinking, I'm appreciating,” she says softly. Her fingers lightly trace the designs on his arm before she rolls over to her other side. His red and brown hair is a rumpled mess. When she runs a hand through it and runs her nails against his scalp, he groans and buries his face in her neck.

“You’re perfect. Please don’t kill me before I take you out on a real date,” he pleads. His lips drag down her neck and stop where the t-shirt he gave her to sleep in last night falls off her shoulder.

Goosebumps erupt down her arms, and Nova sighs, content. The sensation of his mouth on her skin is incredible, and it leaves her breathless.

“I have no desire to kill you,” she mutters, slipping her arm around his chest. “I danced around my feelings for three weeks. I’ve earned a real date.”

Victor laughs against her neck. “You’re damn right. I’m gonna take you out tonight. Really sweep you off your feet.”

She lifts an eyebrow and smirks. “Sounds like a pretty big promise. I hope you can deliver,” she teases.

She is pushed to her back, and suddenly, her boyfriend is leaning over her, his eyes warm and soft in the morning light. “You deserve the world, Nova. I’m glad I can be part of yours.”

“Can part of that world be coffee? Because I need coffee.” Nova flashes a sleepy smile, and Victor thinks she’s a vision of golden hair and blue eyes underneath him.

He moves his hands to cradle her face and kisses her forehead. “Got it. My girl needs coffee.” He lingers for a moment because now he can before pushing himself off of her and rolling to the other side of the bed. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

Nova sits up and runs a hand through her hair to lightly detangle it. As she pushes the comforter off, she sees him pull on the discarded undershirt from yesterday, and she pouts. Now that she’s seen him like this, she doesn’t want it to end until it has to. “Do you have to put a shirt on?”

Victor looks over his shoulder and smirks. He hears the whine in her voice. “No shirt. Got it.” He pulls the undershirt off, tosses it towards the hamper, and stands, circling the bed toward her.

Warm, callused hands pull her to her feet and rest on her lower back. “Good morning,” he says in a low, gravelly voice that sends a shiver down her spine.

“Good morning,” she echoes, balancing on her toes to kiss him softly.

Their kiss is sweet, languid, and warms her body from head to toe. When they separate, both are smiling, as if in disbelief that they are here together, at this moment.

“I’m happy you’re here, Nova.”

“I’m really happy I’m here, too.”

Victor nudges her toward the door and points at the kitchen. “I’ll meet you there and make you coffee. Make yourself at home.” He steps into the bathroom and shuts the door, leaving the blonde to her own devices.

The apartment is a little chilly, but not cold enough to be uncomfortable. Bare feet cross the hardwood floor to the island, where three barstools are tucked under the counter. There are remnants of their dinner- extra napkins, fortune cookie wrappers, and sauce packets- that never made it to the trash last night. She picks the items up and turns to open the trash can tucked away in the corner.

“Who are you?” An Australian accent comes out from behind, and she whips around, blonde hair flying and eyes wide. She presses a hand against her heart, startled.

“Who are you?” she echoes, suddenly on guard. Victor mentioned having a roommate previously, but she can't remember his name. This must be him.

The guy with the Australian accent and dreads gives her a weird look and steps into the kitchen. “You’re standing in my apartment, blondie. I think I’ll ask the quest–” Realization dawns on his face, and his eyes light up as he puts the pieces together. “Wait- blonde hair. Hold up. You’re Nova! You’re mystery girl! He told us all about you yesterday! Did you spend the night? Victor never has girls spend the night!”

A door down the hall opens, and Victor steps out, his chest still bare, and his eyes sleepy. His steps falter when he sees his roommate and Nova staring at each other, but he grins. “There's a reason for that, dude,” he answers. The strangers turn toward his voice. Nova’s smile reaches the corner of her eyes, and she takes a step forward to meet him.

The mechanic’s arms slip around her waist and pull her back to his chest. “I never let anyone spend the night except for Vera. This girl? She’s special.” He kisses the top of her head. “Nova, this is Vargas, my roommate and one of my best friends since preschool. Vargas, this is Nova, my girlfriend. And she wants coffee.”

Nova twists slightly so her head rests against his collarbone, and they exchange a secretive look. There’s truth behind that title now. It, like their feelings, is no longer a lie. Victor winks and steps away to get two mugs from a shelf and make their coffee.

“Donut shop, right?” He turns on the Keurig and opens a drawer of K-Cups.

She hums. “Do you have the vanilla latte pods?”

“No, but I can get them next time I’m at the store. Is vanilla creamer okay?”

She nods and crosses the space to stand beside him. Once the water heats up, Victor sticks the pod in the machine, closes the lid, and presses the button to start brewing her coffee.

Vargas looks like he is vibrating with energy while watching the interaction, bouncing on his toes from excitement. “Oh, man, this is awesome! Nova, you’ve got my best friend smiling like a fool at all hours.” He clasps his hands together and laughs. “Oh shit, I'm meeting you before Vera.” His brown eyes widen in surprise and glee, and he pulls a phone out of his hoodie pocket. “Ha! What a crazy coincidence that you told us about your girl yesterday, and I get to meet her in our apartment after weeks of missing her! Guys, get in, I'm taking a selfie. This is history.” He circles the island, holds his phone out, and throws up a peace sign while snapping the photo.

Victor instinctively curls around his girl in a semi-protective hold and puts a hand out to block their view of the camera. “Nope,” he grumbles. “It’s too early for pictures. Bad enough he’s here.” Nova laughs and glances at him through her lashes. The photo comes out blurry, but the genuine affection is evident in their expressions.

“Aw, shit, man. That’s really cute. I’m gonna text that to you right now. This is going on the fridge.” The other guy’s fingers fly across the screen, his focus solely on the task, leaving the new couple to their coffee.

“I’m sorry about him,” Victor mutters in her ear. The Keurig sputters out the last few drops of coffee into her mug, and he grabs the vanilla creamer for her to add to the hot drink. “Vargas has a lot of energy, and he barely sleeps. I don’t know how he manages to survive,” he chuckles.

Nova giggles and leans against her boyfriend. “I don’t mind. He seems friendly. And I’m glad I got to meet him, although I wish I wasn’t wearing pjs.” She gives him a knowing look before taking a sip of her coffee.

Before Victor can reply, a ringtone fills the kitchen, and his roommate crows.

“Oh, it’s Vera! I sent her the pic. She’s gonna chew you out, Vic!” Vargas grins at the couple across from him mischievously before holding up his phone so the three of them are in frame.

“Nooo!” the mechanic groans. His head tips back to bump against an upper cabinet. “It’s too early for this.” He places his now full coffee mug on the counter, takes hers and places it beside his, and steps in front of her so his back is to the camera. “You’re mine. I’m not sharing you with my friends. It’s too early,” he grumbles into her hair while hugging her tightly.

Nova giggles into his chest and presses her lips to his heart. “I need to meet her eventually, handsome.”

The nickname forces him to lift his head and give her a curious look. “Handsome?” He repeats with a smirk.

“Yeah, handsome.” Her hand brushes over the names on his ribs while sliding around his back. “You call me sunshine. I need to call you something.”

Victor doesn’t say a word as he leans down and kisses her, blocking out the sound of his roommate teasing behind them. He loves that she’s decided he needs a nickname and gave it to him during a special moment like this.

Vargas laughs loudly and answers the FaceTime request. When it connects, he says, “Hey, Vera! Look who’s here this morning!” He moves the camera so they’re in frame, but all it picks up is Victor’s back. “And they’re making out.”

“What the fuck? Victor!” Vera shouts through the phone.

The man in question breaks his kiss and leans his forehead against Nova’s. Their eyes meet, bright blue and dark brown, and she kisses his cheek, giggling.

“Are your friends always this chaotic?” she asks quietly.

He rolls his eyes halfheartedly and straightens. “Unfortunately, yes. Vera’s the most normal one of us, most of the time,” he says under his breath.

“Victor! I’m talking to you! Don’t make me drive over there myself!” His friend threatens on the screen, though it lacks heat. It sounds like she’s trying to hold back her own excitement.

The mechanic slowly turns, angling his body so he’s covering most of Nova, but still facing the camera. “Good morning to you, too, Vera. I love hearing ‘What the fuck?’ shouted at me before I’ve had my morning coffee.” He slides his mug behind Nova across the counter and lifts it to his mouth to take the first sip of the caffeinated drink.

“Oh, cut the sarcastic crap, you dumbass. I told you yesterday that I wanted to meet your girlfriend before Vargas did, and then I get a selfie from him with you blocking the camera while you are obviously trying to hide her first thing this morning!” Vera tries and fails to sound angry at her friend. “What is happening?!”

Victor shrugs as he takes another sip of his coffee before returning it to the counter. He waves Vargas over and takes the phone from him, holding it so she can only see him. “What’s happening is I’m trying to enjoy my coffee with my girlfriend, who spent the night, before I take her home and I go to work this afternoon. Are you happy?”

“No!” She yells. The three of them laugh lightly at her reaction.

Nova slips under Victor’s arm and moves into the camera frame. “Okay, you can stop torturing her now. I feel like she could bust down a door if she really wanted to meet me.” She leans her head against his chest and hugs him with one arm.

“Yeah, you know I have a key! Listen to your girlfriend!”

His roommate falls off the barstool in silent laughter at the scene unfolding before him.

He shakes his head and lowers his arm so Nova is fully in the picture. “Vera, this is my beautiful, now caffeinated girlfriend, Nova. Nova, this is my other best friend from preschool, Vera. I feel like introducing you two might be a big mistake because you will torment me to no end, but I also like living, and I know Vera will kill me in my sleep if I didn’t.”

The blonde waves and smiles at the camera. “Hey! It’s nice to meet you. I think I’ve seen you on campus before. Are you involved in student government?”

Vera blinks, surprised at the observation. “Yeah, I am. It’s nice to meet you, too, Nova.” She sounds much calmer now.

“Well, now that you’ve officially met, we’re gonna go.” Victor passes the phone back to Vargas, waves at the camera, and bends down to lift her over his shoulder. She lets out a shriek, and her hands grip his shoulders. “You can meet Nova in person some other time. I’m gonna go make out with my girlfriend some more before I have to drive her home. Bye, V!” He calls out from down the hall over Nova’s shrieks and giggles.

When he reaches his room, he drops her onto the bed, her body shaking with laughter, and shuts and locks the door. He shakes his head and runs a hand down his face. He loves his friends, he really does, but they’re so dramatic sometimes.

“Well, you met Vera and Vargas,” he chuckles. “God, she sounded like my aunt when I brought home a girl in high school.” He crosses the floor and bends down to lift her again, her legs wrapping around his torso, before he sits on the edge of the bed. “But that’s not important. What’s important now is I want to make out with the beautiful woman in front of me, who made me crazy for weeks, before I drive her home, go to work, and then pick her up for our first real date tonight. I want the whole town to wonder what the hell a loser like me is doing with someone as incredible as you.”

Nova loops her arms around his neck and leans in, but doesn’t kiss him just yet. Blue eyes darken slightly as she bites her lip. “Anyone who thinks you’re a loser needs to get their eyes checked. These muscles are hot!”

Victor’s arms tighten around her body, pulling her impossibly closer. He plants several kisses down her exposed neck, and she lets out a breathy sigh that has her eyes falling shut. He couldn’t be happier than he is right now, holding this beautiful woman in his arms. A month ago, he never thought he’d find himself in a relationship, let alone with someone as special as Nova Bright.

“Come here, sunshine.” He falls back on the mattress, pulling her with him, and rolls them over so she’s underneath him. Their lips meet, and they get lost in each other for an hour. Hands wander up and down each other’s bodies but never go further than soft, warm touches to their skin. It’s a boundary that’s understood without being stated. They aren’t there yet, and they’re both okay with that.

When they emerge from his room a little while later, Nova is wearing one of his hoodies and her leggings from yesterday, and Victor carries her backpack and is dressed in a clean pair of coveralls for work. Their hands link between them as they walk to his car, separate briefly to get in, and join again once both are in the front seat. Conversation is not necessary as he drives her to her apartment, the silence comfortable.

“Hey.” Victor walks her to the door and grabs her waist before she enters her apartment, turning her to face him. “I’ll pick you up at 8, okay? Dress up. I’m taking you someplace nice.” He smiles the smile that Nova’s decided is just for her, the one that touches the corners of his eyes.

Nova bites her lip to hold back her smile before rising to her toes to kiss him softly. “I’ll see you later, handsome.”

He steps back and smirks. “See you, sunshine.” He waits for her door to shut and lock before walking away.

No matter what happens at work this afternoon, nothing can ruin his day. He woke up with the girl of his dreams in his bed, made out with her for a while this morning, she left wearing one of his hoodies (and looked drop-dead gorgeous), and he’s taking her out for a romantic dinner to sweep her off her feet this evening.

He got the girl. He’s got a good job. Life is pretty great.